Jai Uttal
www.jaiuttal.comWhen he was 19, Jai Uttal moved to California to become a student of sarod player Ali Akbar Khan for traditional voice training and to learn the sarod, a 25-stringed Indian instrument. Later he traveled to India where he studied yoga under Neem Karoli Baba. Jai Uttal was also deeply inspired by the Bauls, the wandering street musicians of Bengal. Jai settled among them, communicating only through music, which ultimately helped establish his unique style1. Jai continues to study under Indian music legend Ali Akbar Khan. Jai Uttal has been leading Kirtans worldwide for over thirty years. “These ancient chants,” writes Jai “contain a transformative power and healing energy. By singing these prayers we join a stream of consciousness and devotion that has been flowing for centuries.”
Krishna Das
www.krishnadas.comKrishna Das' heart was especially drawn to the practice of Bhakti Yoga—the yoga of devotion. While living in India for almost three years, Fanning the flames of his inner longing, Maharaj-ji led him deeper and deeper into the practice of kirtan—chanting the Names of God. As an appointed pujari (priest) for the Durga temple in Maharaj-ji's ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas, Krishna Das immersed himself in the worship of the Divine Goddess.
neebkaroribaba.com
www.neebkaroribaba.comNeeb Karori Baba or Maharajji as He is more popularly known, is one of the greatest saints of the 20th century. He is among the very few true 'sadhus' (saints) that India has had in the recent times. He is also called Neem Karoli Baba (this name being more popular among his western devotees). This website is a tribute to Him and His greatness. It is dedicated to his Janma Sthal (birthplace) - Akbarpur and his Samadhi Sthal (place where he took his last breath) - Vrindavan.
Ram Dass
www.ramdass.orgRam Dass first went to India in 1967. He was still Dr. Richard Alpert, an already eminent Harvard psychologist and psychedelic pioneer with Dr.Timothy Leary. Ram Dass had continued his psychedelic research until that fateful Eastern trip in 1967, when he traveled to India. In India, he met his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, affectionately known as Maharajji, who gave Ram Dass his name, which means "servant of God." Everything changed then - his intense dharmic life started, and Ram Dass became a pivotal influence on a culture that has reverberated with the words “Be Here Now” ever since. Ram Dass’s spirit has been a guiding light for three generations, carrying along millions on the journey, helping free them from their bonds as he has worked his way through his own.
Seva Foundation
www.seva.orgIn 1978, after working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to end smallpox in India, Dr. Larry Brilliant (currently Executive Director of Google.org), and his wife Girija Brilliant, a public health specialist, published an article entitled Death of a Killer Disease. It was a personal account of their decade in Asia, first as youthful travelers, then as spiritual seekers, and eventually as part of WHO's successful smallpox eradication team. They concluded the article with an appeal to readers to find the compassion and understanding to support international health programs to benefit those struggling with poverty. Readers were moved, and soon $20,000 of donations arrived in Larry and Girija's mailbox — with the first $5,000 coming from not-yet-famous computer inventor, Steve Jobs. Seva-supported programs and partners have helped nearly three million blind people to see again through affordable cataract surgeries. In just the past year, Seva's Sight Program benefited over 500,000 ...